Arch correcting member



June 23, 1931. J. MARCELLE ARCH CORRECTING MEMBER Filed Dec. 6. 1929 Patented June 23,- 1931 UNITED STATES;

ISAAC J. MABCELLE, OI BUFFALO, NEW YORK- ARCH CORRECTING MEMBER Application filed December 6, 1929, Serial No. 412,187, and in Canada June 15, 1929.

This invention relates to an arch correcting member for insertion in shoes.

An object-of the invention is to provide an article of manufacture in the form of an arch correcting member which may be readily insorted in a shoe and includes a main body member of thin flexible sheet material having a heel member superposed on and secured to the main' body member in such a'manner as to provide a pair of pockets along opposite sides of the heel portion of the body member, adapted to receive inserts for cor-' recting the position of the heel in the shoe and the support of the foot, the pockets for, receiving these inserts opening along opposite side edges of the body member and formed between the body member and the heel member.

The invention also comprehends the provision of a pocket at the front portion of-the main body member formed by attaching a suitably shaped piece of sheet material thereto along its edges and providing an opening to permit the insertionof an insert into the pockets formed. of suitable shape for supporting the transverse arch of the foot.

Another feature of the invention resides in providing, in combination with the above features, an elastic strip of material superposed on the heel member and suitably attached thereto which is adapted to be dis posed on the bottom side of the arch correcting member when inserted in a shoe so as to engage and seat in the heel portion of the shoe.

In'the drawings forming part .of this ap- 'ingmember of slightly ifierent form than 7 that shown in Fig. 3.

in Fig. This main body member 1 is preferably formed of thin sheet material, preferably of thinflexible leather. A heel memher 2 formed of preferably thin flexible.

leather in sheet-like form, is superposed on the heel portion of the bod member 1 as shown in Figs. 1 to 4;, and as its forward edge secured to the main body member by a transverse row of stitches 3. Along the median longitudinal portion, the main body member and the heel member 2 are secured together by a row of stitches 4, so that a pair of pockets are formed along opposite sides of the main body member 1 throughout the heel portion thereof which arev open along the side and rear edges of the heel portion of the main body member.

The flexibility of the leather or other sheet material of which the main body member and the heel member are formed permits the flexing of these members apart so that an insert 5 as shown in Fig. 2, may be positioned in the pocket at either side of the central row of stitches 4, which may be wedge-shaped as shown in Fig. 2, or of other suitable configuration so as to provide the proper thickness at the desired points supporting the heel por tion of the foot in the shoe for correcting defects in the foot of a wearer so that the foot is held in proper position in the shoe.

A cushioning pad 6 is also attached undel the heel portion of the main body member and as shown in the drawings, is secured to the heel member 2, which inthe structure illustrated is secured to the bottom face of the heel member. This cushion pad 6 maybe formed'of sponge rubber or 0t er elastic material. It may be shaped so as to have a maximum thickness in the central portion and decreasing thickness toward the edge portions, both at the sides and at the front and rear in the.manner illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, It is usually formed to fit the contour of the inside of the shoe at the bottom in the ,heel portion which is usually formed with a concaved depression, as shown in the drawings and indicated generally at 7.

For shoes which are not formed with the concavities 7, such as dress shoes, a thin sheet of cork 8 or composition material including cork or the like, is secured to the bottom surface of theheel member 4, such as shown in Fig. 4%. This cork sheet 8 which forms a cushion pad in the same manner as the pad 6 is positioned in the heel portion of the shoe in the same manner as shown in Fig. 1 with the ad 6.. p Adjacent the front end of the main body member 1 is secured a pocket forming member 9 in the form of a thin piece of flexible leather or other suitable material of suitable size and shape which is superposed preferably on the under side of the main body member and secured thereto by the stitches 10 extending around the edge portion thereof. The central portion of this member 9 is provided with a slot 11 to provide access to the pocket formed between the member 9 and the under-face of the main body member so that a transverse arch supporting insert indicated at 12, of suitable shape and thickness may be inserted in the ocket. In some cases it may be desirable to ave this pocket open at the front end in which case the pocket forming member is formed of a sheet of suit able flexible leather or other material 13 having the side and rear edges thereof secured to the main body member 1 by the stitches 14, the front edge portion 15 being unattached so as to provide an entrance opening into the pocket between the member 13 and the main ody member for the insertion of the insert indicated at 16. The inserts 12 and' 16 may have their sections varied in any suitable manner and, as shown in Fig. 1, may have a substantial thickness at the center and be of decreasing thickness toward the edge por tions thereof, the particular shape being suited to the desired correction to be obtained in the transverse arch of the foot of the wearer.

These arch correcting members may be secured against movement in the shoe after the inserts 5 and 12 are placed therein for obtaining the desired correction of defects in the foot of the wearer by suitably cementing the heel portion thereof to the heel portion of the shoe which may be obtained by cementing the pads 6 or 8 to the inner face of the bottom of the shoe.

The pads 6 and 8, in addition to providing a cushion for the heel of the wearer in the shoe, also prevents the nails in the heel of the shoe which frequently penetrate through the inner sole in the shoe from injuring the foot of the wearer or interfering with the positioning and operation of the inserts 5 positioned in the pockets between the heel member and the main body member 1.

eme-ac it will be seen from the above description that an arch correcting member for removable insertion into a shoe is provided by this invention which is simple in construction and provides a series of pockets for receiving inserts under the heel portion of the foot as well as under the transverse arch portion so that the foot is correctly held in position in the shoe for correcting defects in the foot of the wearer as well as preventing the wearer during the wearing of the shoe, from producing an uneven amount of wear on either side of the heel, which causes the running over, as it is termed, of the heel on either side. In this way a more even wear on the shoe is secured and greater comfort is provided to the foot of the wearer.

' What is claimed is 1. An arch correcting member for a plication in a shoe, comprising a main body member formed of an elongated piece of flexible sheet material having one end portion shaped to fit under the heel of a foot and the opposite end portion adapted to fit under the foot in advance of the heel portion a heel member of sheet material superposed on the underside of the first named portion of said main body member and having the edge portions thereof substantially coincident with the edge portions of said main body member throughout said first named end portion, a transverse row of stitches securing the forward edge of the heel member to said main body member, a longitudinal row of stitches extending from said transverse stitches to the rear of said members and securing said heel member to said main body member along the median longitudinal portion thereof to provide a pair of pockets on opposite sides of the heel portion between said members opening at the sides, an insert adapted for re movable insertion in either of said pockets, and a cushioning pad of resilient material mounted on the under face of said heel member and substantially coextensive therewith, for providing a cushion support for said insert and said members in the heel portion of a shoe.

2. An arch correcting member for applica tion in a shoe, comprising a main body member formed of an elongated iece of flexible sheet material having one en portion shaped to fit under the heel of a foot and theopposite end portion adapted to fit under the foot in advance of the heel portion, a heel member of sheet material superposed on the underside of the first named portion of said main body member and having the edge portions thereof substantially coincident with the edge portions of said main body member throughout said first named end portion, a transverse row of stitches securing the forward edge of the heel member to said main body member, a longitudinal row of stitches extending from said transverse stitches to the rear of (ill said members and securing said heel member to said main body member along the median longitudinal portion thereof to provide a pair of pockets on opposite sides of the heel portion between said members opening at the sides, an insert adapted for removable insertion in either of said pockets, and a cushion-- mg pad of resilient material mounted on the under face of said heel member having a convex lower surface to rovide a maximum thickness m the centra portion with the thickness continually decreasing toward the edge portions, said pad being seated in the heel portion of a shoe, retaining said members in the shoe, and providing a resilient cushion between said insert and the heel portion of the shoe.

' ISAAC J. MARCELLE. 

